The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-07-06
CELEBRATING TUE FOURTH.
How the Day Was spent at Gettysburg,
PennsyIvania

GETTYSBURG, Pa, July Just as the
clock in the tower of the county court
house last night sounded the first stroke of
IL the midnight stiffness was broken by
the strains, from a bugle, of Way Down
Upon the Swanee River" Scarcely had
its notes died away when the members of
the Philadelphia Brigade and Pickett's Di-
vision began the celebration of the glorious
Fourth with the booming OF cannon on
East Cemetery Hill and the roar of fire.
crackers in the town. Pandemonium
reiened for an hour and half. No such
noise has disturbed this little village since
the three memorable 6avs of 1868.
This morning at Z o'clock the members
of Pickett's Division proceeded TO the
courthouse and were called to order by
Colonel Aylette. Some one proposed that
every member Of the division present
should give % cents toward paying the ex-
pense which Mrs. Pickett incurred on this
visit. The proposition was accepted with
cheers; and the way the money ratified on
the secretary's desk was sufficient proof
of the esteem in which Mrs. Pickett is held
by the division.
Resolutions were then adopted thanking
the Philadelphia Brigade for the hospitable
manner IN which they had treated them,
the town authorities for the way they had
received them, their own officials for the
trouble and time they had given to bring
ing about this reunion and all soldiers for
their fraternal greeting.
The meeting then adjourned, and out
side the building they joined in procession
with the Philadelphia Brigade. Each Pick
EFT man linked arms with a Philadelphia,
and the line proceeded to the Eagle Hotel,
where the party took carriages and
started over the battle field. In the first
carrisge were Mrs General Pickett and her
son George; Mrs. Charles Banes, wife of the
commander of the Philadelphia Brigade,
and Colonel Batchelder. Fully 100 car
Iiages were in the line, which wended its
way through the dust of the Emmittsburg
road to the Spangler lane. Into this they
turned and proceeded past the farmhouse
to the rising ground beyond. Here
all alighted, and then the word
went round that Mrs. Pickett was going
to hold a reception on the very ground
over which her husbands command had
charged, and within a few yards of the
woods under whose cover he, twenty years
before, had formed his division. The
Pickett men were first formed in line, aud
one by one advanced and were introduced
to the wife of their old commander by
Colonel CloptoD, of Richmond, Va, by
name, stating their regiment and rank.
She had & word for all, and all had a word
for her. The Philadelphia Brigade was
next presented. Her son. George Pickett
hand ii was at once grabbed by him.
The people then moved to the highest
ground, and Colonel Bachelder formed the
survivors of Kemper's, Barnett's and
Armistead's briea1es of PIckett's Division
in the order they had been when the
charge began, and asked the commander
of each regiment to step forward and point
out the position of his command. When
this was done the party once more re-
sumed their ride and took the follow
ing route: Out the Emmittsburg road,
along Sickles' line to the peach orchard,
thence across the bloody wheat field to the
Devils Den," through the VALLEY OF
Death" along the base OF Roundtop,
thence By the battlefield avenue along the
Union line post, the umbrella copse of
trees where HAND fell wounded, on by
Bloody Angle" and the high water mark
of the rebellion, past Meade's headquar-
tiers, through the beautiful National Gem
eteTy, and entered town by the Baltimore
pike, over which the Union troops re-
treated after the bloody struggle of the
first day.
Mrs. Pickett was the center of attraction
on the field. She had gathered some
daisies and clover heads; a number OF the
brigade asked her for few; she gave them
with a smile, and one by one they we're
given away to be treasured as mementoes.
Her autograph was also eagerly sought,
and she refused 40 one.
George Pickett showed the Associated
Press correspondent the watch his father
carried during the charge. 1t is medium
sized gold one, with the stars and stripes
and stars and bars crossed on the lid; on
the inside are the names of the battles in
which be participated in the Mexican war.
To say that Picketts men are pleased
would be putting ii lightly. They are de-
lighted with everything and everybody.
In the words of q Confederate soldier:
I'VE are pleased all to pieces. but Cowan
this time has captured rs body and SOUL"
While the band was playing q medley ol
Confederate and Union war songs as the
veterans were starting on their side ove1
the field il struck up Yankee Doodle ~
Instantly Rebel yell and Union cheer
showed that the wsr song Of their fathers
above all others had touched sympathetic
chord in the breasts Of both.
This evening . religious service was held.
In the absence OF the chaplain, Rev. ]. X.
Demorsst was asked to speak before gath.
eripg OF P!ckett's men mainly at the court
house. He spoke to them on the subleci
Of the day: "How Much the Liberty and